April opening eyed for Concord senior center

By MARK HAYWARDNew Hampshire Union Leader

A new senior center should open in Concord by April, organizers announced Wednesday, after securing 4,000 square feet of rental space that will allow them to offer meaningful programs designed for a range of seniors.

The private, non-profit Centennial Senior Center should open in early April at the Smokestack Center, a multi-tenant development at 254 N. State Street, which is across Route 3 from the New Hampshire State Prison.

"We are so excited about this new location as it will truly allow us to support people as they age through activities, education and advocacy, with an end goal of improving the quality of life for everyone," said Vivien F. Green, executive director of the Centennial Senior Center.

She said the space allows Centennial to provide for the Baby Boomer generation as it enters its retirement years.

Green said the new space will allow the private, non-profit organization to expand current programs, which are now being offered at space provided by the Concord Parks and Recreation Department.

She said the space will be big enough to launch a "Lunch and Learn" program, where topics such as Medicare and chef demonstrations will be presented.

The space will allow Centennial to offer programs during the evening for seniors who work during the day, she said.

Traditional programs at Centennial include health and wellness, yoga, art and strengthening.

The space is all on one floor, with offices, classrooms, an informal sitting area with a fireplace, a large meeting space that will hold as many as 80 people, and nearly two dozen parking spaces. It will offer the ability to use webinar, video and teleconferencing.

"It will cater to people age 50 to 100 or more and will offer traditional as well as non-traditional activities, supporting people as they age with a multi-generational approach," Green said.

Centennial conducted surveys and held listening sessions to determine the needs of the center, Green said.

She said the organization is funded by private donations and a $4.5 million endowment.